Save Tonight
by watched 2 much tv
Summary: Jackson knows how he feels about most of things Eric's done. He knows how he feels about the first part of this one. But he's not so sure about the second. He doesn't even know what he's gonna do about the second. Jackson's side of the Mel/Taylor/him love triangle. Set during Hotel Tango


Can you believe it's been almost five years since Hotel Tango aired and this show ended. That's kinda depressing. Maybe in honor of the five year anniversary there can be a bunch of new fics about Hotel Tango (hint hint).

* * *

"What was your whole deal with Melissa and Taylor back at camp? I can tell you like Melissa, so was Taylor and her so-called beauty and popularity really that much of a distraction?" Eric asked, making sure to keep his voice low.

It was late and they were all sitting on the floor of the old, decrepit building. Some time ago, they had unconsciously split up with the boys on one side and the girls on the other. Though not all of them were previously on best friend like terms with each other, their situation had brought them together. They finally knew for sure that everyone was (relatively) okay and tomorrow Abby and Melissa would be making the biggest attempt at being rescued yet.

Jackson didn't mind Eric's question. They had their problems with each other up until as recently as this morning, but that was over. It had to be. Eric wasn't a complete jerk, and Captain Russell's condition, everyone had to put aside all their issues and focus on survival and rescue.

"How can you tell I like Melissa?" Jackson wasn't trying to avoid the question, he was just curious.

Eric scoffed and Ian laughed. "Dude, you're kidding, right? Even I know you like Melissa and you guys have been here all of eight hours," the long-haired guy said. Ian shifted to try to get into a more comfortable position, but quickly gave up and went back to leaning against the wall behind him. "But I do want to know what happened with Taylor," he added.

"Chief here spent half of the past week flirting with Taylor and the other half wooing Melissa," Eric said, seeming entertained.

"That's not what happened. I wasn't flirting with anyone and I wasn't 'wooing' anyone either," Jackson defended.

"You spent the entire week leading them both on. What's the deal?" Eric truly wanted to know. It was his fault that Jackson knew Melissa liked him, so he felt a little bit impartial to how their story was gonna go down.

"I haven't let anyone in for a long time. I don't even like people knowing things about me because then they can use them against me later on. After you played my tape, Mel was the reason I stayed. I told her what happened before we left for Palau. And then I got scared. I spent all night thinking about how I told her more in a week, in one night, than I had told people in years. I keep you guys at arm's distance and I tried to do the same with her, but she made it hard. She made me want to talk to her. So I was scared."

Jackson looked over at where the girls were sitting closely, wrapped in sleeping bags and talking about who knows what. He knows that they should probably be sleeping because tomorrow was going to be a long day and he knows that they know that, too. But let them all have tonight. Who knows what'll happen tomorrow.

"I'm gonna take you opening up now as progress, but where does Taylor factor in?" Eric asked, wondering where was is going.

"Taylor's easy," Jackson stated.

Ian disagreed. "I spent all of last year trying to get with her. She is not easy. Although on a deserted island, she might be desperate," Ian offered.

Jackson chuckled. "I wasn't trying to sleep with her. She's easy. In the beginning, I took her for clueless and I spent the week learning that clueless doesn't necessarily mean stupid. Daley would have seen right through what I was trying to do. Towards the end, I think Taylor did, too."

"Okay, I'm 99% sure I know where you're going with this, but humor me and tell us what exactly you wanted Taylor for," Ian whispered.

"A distraction. I wanted to be thrown through the Taylor Hagan wringer of what it means to be a guy in her life. Maybe then I'd have forgotten all about Melissa. But it didn't work. Trust me, I suffered plenty, but it was usually because Mel was upset," Jackson finished. He looked embarrassed. Of course, Eric never let these kinds of things go.

"So you chickened out of being with a girl that really likes you. Well, aren't you the tough guy now?" Eric laughed condescendingly.

"Look man. You told us all of this and you hate Eric. You should go tell this to Mel," advised Ian. They looked over and the girls had fallen asleep. "Maybe tomorrow," Jackson said to himself.


End file.
